The Rabbit's Tea Cup, an Alice Cameo
by Akimi Kono
Summary: Bárbara in Wonderland! Bárbara is a young woman who finds herself in the strange place of Wonderland after falling down a hole, even after being warned not to go near it by her good friend, Lewis. Now she's lost. An Alice/Romasanta FanFic.
1. Through the Rabbit Hole

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alice's Adventures in Wonderland nor B__árbara, as she was a historical character. I am just using them for my purpose. Alice belongs to pseudonym'd Lewis Caroll and Bárbara belongs to, well, Romasanta. ;D _

**A/N:** I hope you like it. I was just bored, so I was thinking, what if Alice met Bárbara? Or better yet, what if Alice _was_ Bárbara? So, yeah ... this brain child was formed ... I was tired so that's why everything happened so fast in the first chapter. I just wanted to lie down, but none of the couches or chairs are open, so yeah ... Also I didn't write this because Alice in Wonderland just came out 5 days ago.

----

"What are you doing?"

Turning her head up, the woman smiled. "I found something, Lewis."

"Isn't it a bit late to be playing hide-and-seek?

"Oh, please. I am not playing. I found something. Honest. Look," she pointed on slim finger towards the black hole underneath the gnarled roots of a large tree. "It must be some type of animal."

"C-Come away from that!" The man said, quickly grabbing the woman by her shoulders and pulling her towards him, "You do not know what animal!"

"Oh, Lew -- It is more likely harmless."

"Harmless? Do you not see the _size_ of that? It must be something mean, like a .. like a badger."

"There are no badgers in England, Lewis."

"How do you know that?"

"Please, let me go. I am not going to fall down it, silly."

Exhaling sharply, the man shook his head. "Sometimes you amaze me, Bárbara. If you do not fall down that hole, I, for one, will be surprised."

"Do not have such little faith in me, please. I am very cautious of where I stand and where I walk. I place my feet with looking and care. I am not scatterbrained," as she beagn to walk off, she glanced behind herself towards the man, "and do not expect me to accept you for tea when you come around today!" With that she walked up, a bit upset about the whole ordeal.

The man sighed, staring down. Oh, Bárbara.. Such short temper. It was not good for a young lady to be like that, without being married as well. Perhaps she could manage some decency when his guest arrived later, as he intended for them to meet. Wiping his forehead and fixing his hat, the man turned and took off in a brisk walk after the woman.

"Oh, Bárbara! Wait for me!"

----

"Oooh, poppycock," the woman muttered angrily, throwing her pillows onto her bed. She did not want to be told she was clumsy. She wanted Lewis to be excited about what she found. A large hole that seemed more of an animal's despite its size. And he was just .. just talking about her falling down it! Sitting on the edge of her bed, Bárbara crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at the wall.

"If he thinks he is coming over tonight, he is mistaken. I do not want to see him -- ever again."

Though almost twenty, the woman still acted much like a young girl. In fact, Lewis had pointed out that she acted like his young niece, Alice. This had made her even more upset. She was not a child, nor an adult. She was a young woman that could still play make-believe if she wished and hold a wonderful gathering at tea time if she must. Not someone that needed babying, nor someone that could handle everything. She was inbetween.

Finally she stopped glaring and placing her hands in her lap, looking down. She sighed and slumped over. It was not fun to be alone. Lewis was her good friend, and he wanted what was best for her. Even if that was treating her like her age and not her personality. Lying back on the bed, the woman stared up at the ceiling which seemed to float farther above her by the second. Perhaps she was tired. Perhaps she was insane. But one thing was certain, in her crazy and abstract mind: she was going back to that hole.

-----

It was around five in the morning by the time Bárbara had slipped from the house and down the back porch, crossing over the large field of a yard and towards the forests. Between the field and the woods was a river that ran North and South. She followed it North, farther away from home and towards the tree. After what seemed like forever, she stumbled upon the crooked and bent figure of the tree.

Running forward, she embraced one of the tall roots. It seemed bigger than before. As she walked around it, expecting the wood and limbs, she felt the urge to climb up. A chill made her shudder as she passed around the front again, stopping in front of the dark grass that turned to black. The hole.

She knelt down, staring at it with her hands in her lap. Should she touch it? If it were real and not some dream, she should be able to feel the inside of it, the cool dirt walls. As she reached her hand out, her bright yellow sleeve riding up her arm, and touched the cool dirt, she felt a chill run up her spine so she pulled her arm back. It was real. Running her three fingers together, she felt the dirt trickle down her forearm to the ground. Then she leaned forward and smelled the earthy scent. So it wasn't a dream. As she leaned over to pick one of the small plant roots from the wall she felt a shudden push -- a shove -- from behind. Letting out a yelp, she tumbled forward, into the hole. Instead of the sudden stop of her head being pounded into the ground, she felt wind rush past her. She was falling. Far.

Down she fell, trying desperately to grab at the walls only for the small roots and rocks to break loose, falling along with her. It seemed like an eternity that she was falling, her heart in her throat, as she watched the small dot of light at the top of the hole disappear.

Flipping over she closed her eyes tightly, seeing black consume her. It had to end sometime. It had to --

She landed with a solid impact, letting out a shriek. As dirt and pebbles fell on her, coating her back and legs, she lied there, panting. Had this been a dream? She hoped so. Whatever had dug this had to be huge. A bear? Did bears burrow? She quietly pulled her arms to her face, covering her skin with her hands. As pain shot through her ribs and up her spine, she let out a sob. She wished she had never come back. To this place, to this tree, to this hole.

This nightmare.


	2. The Redhead Midget

6/12/10 - 6/13/10

**A/N**: Sorry about all of the jumbled stories. It took out the hyphens where they were, and I can not put those line breaks in without deleting them and reposting them. I apologize. Please try to figure out how the stories are; even I can barely tell and I wrote them!

Every time I try to write this story/chapter an ad for PPV comes up, and it's always for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland! Isn't that strange?

My goodness, my finger (thumb, actually) hurts quite a bit, a terrible lot. Hm, what to do, what to do ...

* * *

"My, it seems that these creatures do sleep - and quite a bit." Bárbara felt a nudge in her side. She let out a soft groan as a dull throb ran up her ribs to her shoulder. Had she fallen asleep? She had not thought so, but it appeared she had. But where were the voices coming from? She had fallen into a hole; had someone gotten her out? Was she at home? Or the hospital? Was it a doctor? Then why would she be called a "creature"? All of these thoughts pestered her endlessly.

Had she even actually gone down the hole? Maybe it had been such a realistic dream that she had fallen from her bed and landed on the ground? That could explain the pain in her side and head. Bárbara tightened her eyes as she felt more prodding in her side.

"Please, stop ... " she managed to get out before exhaling sharply and whimpering. Even talking caused pain in her ribs. The slightest vibration in her side caused much distress.

"Oh, oh, oh." There was a murmuring chatter around her. It sounded like animals and people. "It talked! It spoke! Words! From its mouth..." She felt more fingers and hands on her body. Poking, prodding, prying .. It was all too much. She managed to roll onto her back and let out a painful cry.

"Stop!"

Everyone was excited by this. The young brunette could not understand what was such an attraction of a woman in pain.

"Now, now, leave her alone ... "

Less and less hands were on her, and it sounded like some people were leaving. Footsteps on a wooden floor headed towards the exit. Maybe she could now finally have some peace. But she did not get it. Instead she felt a cool pair of hands on her face. It was strange for someone with such cold hands to be a doctor - she had the suspicion that it was not a medical professional.

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. A pale yellow light was filtered into the room, giving it the feeling of a forest. She inhaled deeply through her nose; she smelled the scents of pine and mint. Where was she? She looked upwards to see the pale face of the person looming above her. They stared down with blue eyes, their pale lips pulled into a straight line.

"She is waking."

Bárbara said nothing as the man stood and turned, muttering to the short red-haired man near the door, "Please, make sure that she stays well." He took a tall hat from the desk and placed it on his head. He pushed open the wooden door and, bending over, stepped out into the bright daylight. The door closed behind him, knocking against the frame.

"Who ... " she began, trying to ease out the words. The short man turned and quickly rushed up to her. He pulled a wooden stool over to the bedside and jumped atop. He looked down into the face of the woman. She turned her brown eyes toward him. He smiled, revealing that he was missing quite a few of his teeth.

"You wake?" He did not seem to finish his sentences very well; and his voice was rough, as if he barely spoke at all.

Bárbara blinked a few times, slowly sitting up. The man jumped back onto the floor and watched as she rubbed her forehead. "I .. where am I, sir?"

He snickered, grinning at her. "You wake up here, you not know." She did not know what he was talking about; he was making little sense. The redhead quickly ran over to the roughly-made wooden table in the middle of the room. It seemed that the entire house was one room - one small room with a low ceiling. She blinked a few more times, adjusting her vision to the bright lights pouring into the house.

The man pulled himself onto a chair, sitting on his knees. He reached across the table and grabbed papers along with a cup with steam rising from it. She assumed it to be tea, but by judging from the dark circles on the sheets he held, it was most likely coffee. The man sipped at his cup and read over the papers. Bárbara stared at him in silence until he finally looked over. His green eyes pierced her deeply, and it made her a bit scared.

"You sit here, stop staring."

She quickly snapped out of the daze she was in and turned her body until her legs swung over the side of the bed. She stood, gently slouching as to not hit her head. The brunette slowly made her way to the table not 5 feet away. She slowly slid into the chair across from the man, staring down at her lap.

"Eat."

She looked up to see that the man was sipping his drink and looking at his papers. Had she just imagined that voice? The man looked up and stared at her, "Eat." She had not.

Bárbara glanced around the table, which was cluttered with papers and folders. She could not find anything that was remotely edible. And she did not want to go into the kitchen, which was just a section designated in the corner of the room, for fear of being rude. What did this man have to eat, though?

Finally, he must have figured out that she did not see anything for he reached over and pulled away a sheet of paper that had mathematical problems scribbled across. On a white platter was a strange doughnut-like food, but she was unsure of what it was. The redhead shoved the platter so it slid across the wooden tabletop and stopped just in front of Bárbara, pushing paper out of the way. Slips and sheets slid off of the table and fluttered to the ground. A few crumpled pages crackled under her feet as she moved them awkwardly. This was not her home. Why was she here? Had someone found her and not known her house, so they brought her here?

Bárbara silently picked up the pastry and bit into it. It tasted like apricots and sugar. She had not the slightest idea what it was, but it was delicious. She glanced up at the redhead, eating in silence. He never looked up from his papers. Before she knew it, the brunette had finished the treat. She placed her sticky fingers in her lap, unsure of what to do next. Finally the man looked up.

"Finish?"

"Yes. I am finished ... "

"Good." He slid off of his chair and walked around the table. For the first time since waking up, Bárbara realized that this small, waddling man was a midget. She had never seen one before, not in person. But perhaps this was, after all, a dream. He approached her and picked up the sheets she had knocked off the table.

"Oh, I am sorry. I did not even realize - "

He looked up, "No problem." Setting the paper on the table he reached out his chubby hand, "Follow me."

She hesitantly placed her thin, sugar-coated fingers in his and stood. She followed him across the wooden floor. He pushed open the front door and walked through; she had to bow her head and step out at a slight angle. As soon as she stepped out into the bright morning she had to squint and shade her eyes with her free hand. The scent of mint and pine wafted towards her, engulfing her elegantly. Yellow sunlight filtered through the branches of the trees; pine needles softly floated to the ground and landed at her feet.

Bárbara followed the short man across the large, green and yellow lawn towards the orangey-brown path that led through the airy forest. He stopped and let go of her hand. She watched as he stared out across the land before turning and walking back toward his angled house.

"W-Wait!"

He turned, "What?"

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Hom ... but where am _I_ going?"

"Where you think?"

She opened her mouth to ask him what he meant, but he shook his head. "Dodo does not choose where you go." With that said, he turned and walked back to his house, pulling open the door and stepping in. The door banged close, providing an inch of space between it and the frame to peek through.

_Dodo? What does he mean by that? _

Shaking away this strange sentence, she turned back to look at the trees stretching up towards the sky. Her eyes scanned over the tops of the waving trees, feeling the breeze brush over her bare arms. Shuddering, she hugged her arms to herself; a motion near the path caught her attention. She turned her eyes down to the ground to see a man step out from between two trees. A sudden rush ran up through her body and her heart leapt. She was afraid. Who was this man?

Bárbara noticed that the tall man was a bit heavy-set and bald. He glanced down towards the path heading away from the house before turning his gaze towards her. She swallowed hard, goose bumps running up and down her arms. She stepped back and watched as the mysterious man walked along the path. Once he got within 100 feet of her, she turned to run. As she did, she heard a surprised cry; ignoring it, she took off towards the house. Perhaps the redhead midget could help her, save her - anything.

She crossed over twenty feet before feeling a hand on her shoulder. Letting out a yelp, she tumbled over her feet and landed on the ground with a heavy thumping sound. Exhaling sharply, which threw loose bits of dirt into the air, she pushed herself up with her hands. She looked over her shoulder to see the bald man standing behind her. He was looking down at her with kind eyes. Even so, she felt frightened. Pulling up to her feet she tried again to run, but it was useless; the man had a strong grip on her arm.

"Please, listen."

Bárbara shook her head wildly, "Let me go!"

"Listen - "

The girl turned and tried to pry his finger's off of her arm.

" - I am trying to help you."

"Help me!"

"Yes; you do not understand what is going on here."

"What I do not understand is why you insist to touch me!"

His eyes seemed to grow sadder; he shook his head. "You do not understand."

She glowered at him, trying to make him feel smaller so perhaps he would let her go. It did not seem to be working. He tightened his grip, "Please listen, at least."

"What!"

"Do not trust the word of the man; he is not who he seems. The only living thing that seems to be real; it is much more than you will see. In the grasp of the evil Queen he is; it is a massacre in the waking."

She stared at him, unsure of whether to make him out to be insane or a genius. The latter did not win.

"_What_?" Her glare hardened.

"When the time comes, you will get it. It will make sense."

"I am not sure if it will ever make sense - let go of me!"

The man let go of her and she tripped forward, catching herself and standing. Brushing off her dress, she snapped a glare towards him. She noticed that the man had a bit of a rabbit-like essence to him. He took out a white cloth from his black jacket and dabbed at his forehead.

"It is just important for you to follow that, all right?"

She said nothing.

"Yes?" The man turned to leave, exhausted from the ordeal.

" ... " Bárbara quickly thought over what he had said and stepped forward, "Wait."

He glanced back towards her.

"What ... what happens to be your name .. sir?" Her voice was low and gentle, like she was trying to mend the mean words she had spoken earlier.

He smiled slightly, looking sorry and concerned. "Antonio .. my name is Antonio - but you may call me Rabbit."

"Rabbit ..." she murmured to herself, looking at him. He nodded and sighed.

"Yes. ... "

" ... Thank you ... Rabbit."

A slight twitch of his mouth appeared, which was supposed to be a smile. "You are most welcome ...?"

"Bárbara," she said, smiling, "My name is Bárbara."

"It was a pleasure ..." Giving a slight bow, Rabbit turned and jogged off towards the forest. The brunette woman watched as he disappeared between the trees and into the dark shadows. She was silent, thinking over everything that had happened. This had to be a dream, did it not? She had simply fallen out of bed - or did, indeed, make it to the hole by the tree - and hit her head hard. Perhaps on the floor or dresser, or perhaps on a tree root. Either way, she was unconscious and would wake up soon.

Closing her eyes, squeezing them tightly, she imagined her home, her family, her bed. She would wake up. Opening her eyes she saw that she was still at the same area.

"Maybe .. I need to think of the hole ..." She closed her eyes again and thought of the strange hole she had seen the day before. The cool, earthy smell; the gritty dirt under her fingers .. All of which added up to the large and mangled tree that loomed over her small frame. She felt the grass under her knees, the ground around her. The night was closing in on her, the stars twinkling brightly. She could smell the sweet aroma of the bark and near the breeze fluttering through the nearby trees. She could also hear the trickling of the stream that ran beside the tree. Maybe she was home now.

She opened her eyes once again to see that she was not, in fact, home. She was standing in the yard, in front of a house, facing a forest. This was not a dream. This was true. She was not asleep.

She was really here.


End file.
